Back to Business

Heeeeeey I'm back! I ended up ditching this blog for so much longer than I planned, I'm sorry ;-;
So, spring break is over, we're back from Florida, and I am rounding off my first week returning to school. It went by really fast actually.

So, Florida. We visited beaches on both the Gulf and Atlantic sides. The Atlantic ocean was a lot stronger, and I got a nasty bruise on my hip because I was too cocky when I first went in. Silly Shannon, eh? We did not go to Universal, but we did visit Sea World. Sea World was amazing. It made me want to become a marine biologist so I could move to Florida and work there. My mom says good luck, that's probably the ambition of every teenage girl that comes here. Hurray for familial support! I came back loaded with silly, tourist-y souvenirs and a bit of a tan. Thankfully, I only burned a bit, on my nose, and that faded pretty quickly.

It feels great to be home, and the weather is almost as nice here as it was in Florida! I hardly had to adjust from climate shock at all.

Since I haven't discussed my art mishaps lately, I'll update on them now.
My friend Sarah and I made a little clay dinosaur today. I posted a picture on FB, but I will here too.

Other than that, I painted another page of the coloring book yesterday, and I plan to do the same today. It may not be very complex, but it's calming. I do want to explore more into the painting medium, so hopefully I can get some thicker paints eventually.
I have also become fascinated with the art of calligraphy. The senior art class of the high school has a few pieces on display at the public library, including several from a calligraphy class. A friend of mine had a calligraphy-style pen she was using, which I found was quite entertaining when she let me try it ^-^

Besides ever adding items to my personal list of things to buy, a couple have been crossed off said list. Unfortunately, the traditional drawings I wanted from a favorite artist of mine, Brigid Vaughn, were purchased, so I hope she will be adding more. I also purchased The Red Pyramid while at the airport in Tampa. Once I get The Demigod Files and The Throne of Fire, I'll have /all/ of Riordan's books. I am not as much of a fan of the Kane chronicles as much as the Percy Jackson series, but they're still good.

I discovered a sad truth today. After all my work and fuss over finding the perfect recipe for mac and cheese, I found I didn't even need one. With the velveeta we had, some butter, milk, and just a bit of shredded cheese, I made...possibly the best yet. Though I did use elements from my uncle's recipe, simple seems to do the trick.
Must keep such things in mind for the next time.

Time Flies When You Have None

Has it really been almost a week? I'm sorry ;_; This week was terrible and hectic and stressful, but now it's spring break, and it's all behind me!
See, poor little Shannon is hopelessly technologically (I don't even know if that's how to spell it) challenged. I finally get on blogger to write this long-overdue post and BAM! I'm not signed in. Oh, well that's easy! I go over to the sign in thing and it's got my sitalafox account on gmail. I type in the password I use for everything and it takes me to a signup page. I frown and try again. After the third time I'm in a total panic, thinking I lost my account. Then I started thinking "wait a minute...I don't use my gmail account for anything!" so I try my aol email and that works. True story, bro.

I am currently babysitting CHILDREN. 4 children+me+all day=chaos. They're generally pretty good, though. For whatever reason, they think I'm a great babysitter. I'm enjoyable, guys. Though I guess the technology they have to play with helps. Good thing they know how to work it, because we all know I'm hopeless. e.e

So, this week went really fast. It was awful and horrible and tough, but it went by in a blur. Time flys when you're not having any fun, but don't have time to whine about it, right? I still have stuff to do for school and everything else, but the worst (for now) is behind me.
It's another one of those things that I have "inspirational" ramblings to spout. I have short periods like this a lot, where I'm spent and I just want to go to bed as soon as I get home every day, but I have things to do (not just because I'm a procrastinator) so I stay up even later than usual. I do have methods to prevent me from breaking down, though.
It helps to use some of the solutions I have for other mental breakdowns. One of these is to stop. Just stop. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and tell myself it's not so bad as I think. Life happens, and if you can't get this done, so be it. Like I said in one of my previous posts, worrying never made anybody any taller anyways. Though I can lecture you guys about how you shouldn't worry, I do it a lot ;_; But it helps to take a break and tell yourself that life happens. And now that I'm repeating myself, I'll move on to the next technique I use.
Hugs. Chocolate. Sleep. I have a friend who does not like hugs, and it is just about the saddest thing ever. I love hugs. Just ask my mother.
Chocolate. Almost better than hugs. It's a chick thing.
Sleep is something necessary, and it's actually quite relaxing. That feeling you get when you're just waking up in the warm blankets, in the perfect position you just slept in, and feeling rested, and (pretty much) ready to face the day=priceless.

Spending time with family and friends is wonderful too. The people that understand you completely, that know you. A warm hug from someone who loves you enough to buy you chocolate, right before you go to sleep. The best therapy ever.

If Wishes Were Horses, Dreamers Would Ride

WHAT'S THIS? I HAVEN'T POSTED SINCE WEDNESDAY?
ABSURD.

Anywho, update time~
So, yesterday sucked. I won't go into details, but it just...sucked. I did feel better after I had a chicken chimichanga from Cancun. Nothing like something deep fried to cheer a girl up, amIright?

So after coming home from Cancun, I proceeded to watch shows about criminals with my mom. Fun, right? First it was a show about drug smugglers, then one about prison life, then I watched the end of The Fast and the Furious. ;D
Today, we went to Walmart. I got new socks. ^-^ And as my mom stayed with Cal for his eye appointment, I wandered around, looking at everything. I ended up adding a whole bunch of stuff to my personal wishlist. Stuff that I'll get when I have money. Almost none of the things I want are really expensive (a lot isn't even over $10) but it really adds up when you put it all together.
I want a box of 50 colored pencils, and gelpens! Things of which I envy my sister. I shall have my own!
A batman shirt, too. Enough said.

Actually a lot of the things on my wishlist are art related. There are a few artists on deviantArt that really inspire me. I'll probably never be able to commission them, but a girl can dream, right?
http://burdge-bug.deviantart.com/
http://yuumei.deviantart.com/
However, they do have other things that I can get (pre-drawn pictures, posters) so those are definitely at the top of my wishlist!

Seriously, Shannon, stop talking about stuff you want. Got anything deep to say?
Why, yes, yes I do, bossy little voice in my head among many.

Hopes. Dreams. Aspirations. Plans. Goals. Everybody has them. And lately, I've been thinking about what mine are. What will I do with my life?
Of course, I have one of those impossible dreams that so few actually accomplish. For me, it's to be a famous actress. Yeah, Shannon, good luck with that. Though you are definitely dramatic enough for it.
Though I'm far too young to be making decisions, I've also thought about enlisting in a section of the armed forces. I'm too small to be a grunt/footsoldier, too afraid of heights for the air force, and not cool enough to be special forces, but surely is something I'd qualify for, hmm? Of course, it's all speculation. My mother doesn't have to worry about that yet. She thinks I'm too sensitive, too fragile to be in the army. She's probably right.
So how about something practical? I have considered this, yes. I might enjoy eing a lit/comp teacher. Or a librarian. Those are normal, bookworm-y things that one can easily achieve, right?

But what about you? What are your aspirations? Maybe you will be one of those few who attain their impossible dream, what one thinks can only be had in their childlike fantasies.

But I warn you. Don't focus so much on being successful that you lose the here and now. To throw some cliche phrases out there, stop and smell the roses, take it one step at a time. Each day as it comes.
You may still be my age, and I urge you to act it. Blast some music, hug your mother (your dad, too!)
Lie on the floor and pretend you're a carrot.
Live. Love. Laugh.
God gave you this life for a reason, and He has it all under control. Worrying never made anybody taller, anyways. There are days when you may feel like there's no way you can go on, but you will.
Life is a gift, and God won't let us waste it. Each day is just one more chapter in our life.
You'll never know what happens next until you turn the page.